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Solo & Small Firm News Archive

As the Boston Bar Association navigates the 21st century, who better to lead this august institution than a lawyer from the world of cloud computing and big data? Meet Paul T. Dacier, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of EMC Corporation (EMC) and the first in-house counsel ever to serve as President of the BBA. He succeeds J.D. Smeallie of Holland & Knight.

A classic big-picture thinker and thought leader who cares passionately about the role of the judiciary as an independent and co-equal branch of government, Dacier has the courage of his convictions and will tell you exactly what he's thinking. Here's what he thinks about often -- how to secure adequate funding for the judicial branch and why the right to a jury trial is sacrosanct for both businesses and individuals. A good listener who insists on knowing the law and facts at hand before making his case, he doesn't mind telling you that he is not a big fan of private dispute resolution systems that produce no precedents.

A Leader with an Unwavering Commitment to Justice and the Constitution

Whatever he commits to, Dacier takes seriously. That includes his service as a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission during the Romney administration, where he forged good working relationships with fellow commissioners, regardless of their political leanings. That also includes his role as an advocate for the Business Litigation Session as a competitive advantage for Massachusetts, and his service as a member of the advisory committee for the Business Litigation Session.

"Paul Dacier is at the very top of my list of advocates and supporters of the court system," says Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse of the Massachusetts Superior Court. "He is a tireless advocate, an informed advocate, and a tenacious advocate. He has a very real appreciation for the Rule of Law, and you are always made to feel the well-being of the court system is uppermost in his mind. It's amazing to me that for someone who has as much responsibility as he does in his 'day job,' that he finds the time that he does to advocate for the court system."

He's especially passionate about civic education and has been seen carrying a copy of the Massachusetts Constitution, usually open to a section that talks about the Judiciary. He's deeply troubled that there are people who don't grasp the concept of balance of powers and people prone to making misguided comments suggesting that the judicial branch is "just another state agency."

"Our country and its democratic system of three co-equal branches of government is synonymous with the rule of law," says Dacier. "It is imperative that the Judiciary is treated as a co-equal branch of government and that it is adequately funded. If we cannot fund and maintain a strong and vibrant Juciciary, we put at risk the checks and balances in our government that make our democracy the envy of the world. Also, we need to ensure there are jurists who can fairly administer and implement the rule of law." Read more.